Mohamed Sanu

Sanu has a job, and that's not likely to change. Otherwise, there's not much else to say. As a complement to Julio Jones, Sanu posted respectable numbers in a vacuum for a possession receiver -- 11.1 ...

Someone other than Julio Jones has to see targets. The Falcons guaranteed $14 million to Sanu, so expect him to be used more than an aging Roddy White was last year. With Jones drawing double teams on the other side, Sanu should benefit from single coverage, but even opposite A.J. Green in Cincinnati, Sanu was rarely more than passable (8.1, 8.0 YPT last two years). Sanu has only had four catches of 40-plus yards in his four-year career and runs a 4.62 40, so don't expect many downfield plays. At 6-2, 210, Sanu has enough size and athleticism to operate in traffic and could see red-zone work - especially given the team's lack of options (aside from Jones, 31-year-old TE Jacob Tamme and 5-10 Justin Hardy are next in line). But aside from being Matt Ryan's likely No. 2 WR, there's not much to get excited about.

2014

As the less-flashy understudy to AJ Green, Sanu put up solid numbers in 2013, but he got surpassed by Marvin Jones in the Bengals' receiver pecking order and second-year tight end Tyler Eifert will probably start commanding more targets this season as well. Sanu's size and route-running could keep him in a possession receiver role, and out of the gate he figures to see added opportunities thanks to an injury to Jones.

2013

After not seeing much action during the first half of the season, Sanu made his way into the starting lineup in Week 11 and scored three touchdowns the next two weeks. Then he broke his foot in practice and missed the rest of the year.
At 6-2, 211, Sanu has good size and steady hands, but he's not especially fast. Now that his foot is healthy, he'll likely reclaim the starting job opposite A.J. Green and work shorter possession routes. He's also likely to see targets in the red-zone, but keep in mind Green and both of the team's pass-catching tight ends will be busy there, too.

2012

With Andy Dalton coming off a promising rookie year, and A.J. Green sure to draw the bulk of the defense's attention, Sanu finds himself in a more favorable environment than most rookies. At 6-2, 211, Sanu has good size, but only average speed. The third-rounder is a polished receiver with good hands that did damage down the field in college but likely projects as a possession type in the pros. Jordan Shipley is also around, but he'll mostly work out of the slot, so Sanu should challenge for a starting job. Rookie Marvin Jones could also push for some targets, however, and there's always a chance the team brings in a veteran.